Electric underground cable



(No Model.)

F. A. SMITH.

ELECTRIC UNDERGROUND OABLE. No. 280,869. Patented July 10, 1888.

INVENTOR.

WITNESS. I '8 N. PETERS, PnmMm n-r, wumn mmprc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK A. SMITH, or MACO-MB, ILLINOIS.

ELECTR IC UNDERGROUND CABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,869, dated July 10, 1883.

Application filcd April 2-1, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK A. SMITH, a resident of Maeomb, in the county of McDonough and State of Illinois,'have invented new and useful Improvements inElectric Underground Cables and their Connections, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 represents my invention in perspective. Fig. 2 is a'plan. Figs. 3 and 4 are detached parts. 1

The novelty of this invention consists, first, in constructingand binding together a suitable number of well-insulated wires-of copper or other suitable metal, so as to form an electric underground cable covered or coated with pitch or other suitable substance that is impervious to water or dampness, in combination with an air-tight box, of metal or other suitable substance, having a movable lid, so that the box can be opened and the wires connected from the different lines entering it without disturbing any other parts of the cable, and containing ggs insulators and their connections; second, in Improved means for connecting the wires of an underground electric cable in an air-tight box, consisting of glass insulators and their connecting-bolts.

In the drawings, B- represents a strong metal box, which has a movable lid, which is secured firmly to the box by means of bolts, and is provided with suitable packing to make the j oints air-tight.

A A A A represent four cables entering the box; These cables are made of Well-insulated Wires of copper or other suitable metal. The

required number of wires are bound together by wrapping or otherwise and coated with pitch or any suitable material that will make them impervious to water. These cables on- O G represent the insulators, which are made of glass, and have a series of holes through them, in which the bolts (4 a a a are secured.

These insulators are arranged in the box 13, as

. use in streets or otherwise, and v are placed a suitable depth in the ground. The connecting-box B is placed in the ground, with thelid even with the surface of the ground. If in cities, the cover should be level with the curbstone and at or near the street-corners, so that the cables can enter the box from different points. Auxiliary boxes can be placed in cellars or other suitable places, so that telegraph or telephone wires can be connected to the cables and messages transmitted through the cable to any point where the cable is placed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The cable A, composed of a suitable number of insulated wires of copper or other metal, and bound together and coated with pitch or other material that will make it impervious to water or dampness, in combination with The wires are attached tothe air-tight box B and glass insulators C O, 4

having metal bolts a a a attached, substantially as shown and described.

2. The airtight box B and cables A A A A, in

combination with the glass insulators C C,

having metal bolts a a a a, and arranged in the box as shown, so that the wires of the different cables entering the box can be connected together or disconnected, as may be required,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FRANK A. SMITH.

\Vitnesscs:

L. J. PRICE. 0. F. PIPER. 

